Wake Up
by fictionaddict97
Summary: Four years ago Stiles said goodbye to Beacon Hills. Four years he has spent mainly on his own trying to get away from the pain he felt since that night. In his mind, he was doing it for their protection. He would no longer weigh the pack down, especially with the new found voice in his head. What happens though when a familiar face makes their way back into his life? Stydia AU
1. 01 Zeus

The alarm sprang to life as the familiar tune of _Viva la Vida_ by Coldplay started to blare through the open air. Stiles Stilinski groaned as light poured into the bedroom. Opening an eye, he winced at how bright it was.

 _I hate morning shifts._

With everything in his body telling him not to move, the boy somehow managed to hit the alarm and drowsily step out of bed. Rubbing his tired eyes, there was the familiar sound of steps coming across the hardwood floor of the kitchen. Turning to face the doorway, Stiles was greeted by a furry face with bright reddish brown eyes.

"Hey Zeus."

With those two words the dog came to life. His tail was wagging as the pup gave the best dog like smile to his human companion. Stiles knelt down to give his furry friend a pat on the head. After being around werewolves for so long, it still surprised him that he had taken this bundle of joy home.

Zeus was a mutt. From what the vet could tell, he was mainly German Sheppard with a bit of Golden Retriever. That was all they were certain of though. The pup had a range of colors in his fur, starting with the black that fell along his back and around his nose. He had dark eyebrows and mouth to match his black fur. Finally, the dog had deep brown eyes and a slightly red tint to his years. His long fur was a pain to clean up, but mixed with such colors truly made him a beautiful dog. Stiles had found the poor thing roaming the streets. He had told himself it would only be one night. Just one night, to give Zeus some food and a warm place to sleep. The next morning, he had planned to take the pup to a shelter, but instead found himself at the pet store buying everything he needed for the new addition.

Heading towards the kitchen, Zeus waited patiently in front of the cabinet that he knew contained his breakfast. A soft smile played on Stile's lips as he fed the pup and gave him on last pat on the head before continuing with his morning routine.

Looking in the mirror of his bathroom, it was hard not to notice the dark circles that colored the skin under his eyes. It was only faint, but it made him shutter whenever he lacked sleep and those dark circles would appear. It reminded him of that terrifying time years ago. When he saw what seemed like bruises under his eyes, the void came out from the shadows of his soul. No longer stood his reflection in the mirror, but instead it stood there, the Nogitsune.

In a panic, Stile's shook himself from his thoughts, and threw some water on his face. Looking up he saw his own reflection once again. His brown eyes stared back at him as some of the water droplets cascaded down his face. Some got stuck in the slight facial hair he was now sporting. This was of course due to his lack of enthusiasm in shaving. Taking a deep breath, he allowed himself to relax slightly. It had been five years since he picked up and left Beacon Hills, and yet every day he is reminded of why he ran. A small sigh escaped his lips as he turned away. Stile's popped his morning pill, and continued on with his routine.

Just like every morning, the boy thought back to that last summer. Him and his friends had all graduated and were moving on to the next stages of their life. Many had chosen to stay local, all that did though of course had their supernatural duties to attend to. That wasn't his plan though. Stiles had last minute decided to get himself hell out of dodge, and found himself going to school in San Francisco. The lie had been he was looking for adventure, but the truth held something much darker. Stiles lived with something dark and heavy in his heart. Beacon Hills had been a place of pain, and all he wanted was to be numbed.

The only other member of the pack to high tail it out of the supernatural tow was none other than Lydia. She was off somewhere in Northern California doing what Lydia does best, science.

Stiles had stayed in contact minimally with only Scott and his father. Sure there was a phone call or so to the others, but that is just how things needed to be. Not a day goes by that he doesn't miss everyone that he was once so close to, it sadly just seemed to be the best for everyone to keep the distance. To tell the truth, the boy hasn't been the same for years now, and it felt like he never would be. The Nogitsune still haunts him. The voice of evil continues to hang over him, even after all this time.

A shiver ran down his spine. It was almost as if Stiles could feel its presence.

 _"I'm always with you Stiles."_ The whisper echoed in the depths of the depressed boys mind.

"Leave me alone." His voice was barely audible.

Silence replace the echo, and emptiness filled his body.

He felt heavy.

He felt _void._

"Wake up Stiles, wake up."

It was not a dream, and he knew that. The simple phrase has just stuck with him since the very beginning. It is what helps remind him to stay out of his own head, and to stay in reality. A couple of words are what have helped him make it this far down the road.

The anxiety in his chest subdued, allowing the poor boy to take a deep breath.

No one knew of the voice that still crept into his head. For five years Stiles hid his dark secret. Deaton was the only one who knew anything. Stiles had gone to him when it first started, consumed with the fear that the Nogitsune would take over once more. The vet had informed him though that the spirit was too weak to take over. He did not know why the evil still continued to live in Stile's head, but it was not able to influence him like it once did. Deaton's only warning was to never accept the spirit back into his mind. That would surely, let it take over.

The news had shaken Stiles, but he simply asked the man to keep quiet, and to inform him if there was ever a way to get the voice out of his head. That was of course years ago when he was 17. Now at 21 Stiles has gotten his undergrad, and is working as a mechanic to pay off his student loans. Speaking of which..

"Shit." There was no need to even look at the time, Stiles already knew that he was running late for work. Quickly getting ready for the rest of his day the boy practically ran out the door to his faithful jeep. "I really hate the morning shift." And with that he was off to the shop.

"Ms. Martin?"

"Right here!"

Lydia stepped in to the line of sight for the moving man.

"This is everything mam. I just need you to sign."

"Of course!" You could practically hear the excitement in her voice.

She was moving into her first apartment. After four years of undesirable campus housing, this was finally a place she could call her own. Well, sort of. Financially, the girl was in no state to be renting an apartment by herself in San Francisco, so she got a roommate. Her name was Carley, and they had been acquaintances during college. They had both been offered internships downtown, so it only made sense that they moved in together.

"Lydia!" _Speaking of roommates.._

"Hey Carley! When did you get here?" The two exchanged a quick hug.

"Earlier this morning! I was too excited to wait any longer. I'm glad I got here when I did because let me tell ya, there is some hottie living in our building. I saw him leaving for what I assumed was work this morning. If it weren't for my boyfriend, I would be all over him."

Lydia could only laugh. _Typical Carley._

"Come on, let's go get ourselves settled. I have some major unpacking to do."

The two girls headed up to their apartment. You could practically feel the excitement in the air. They had majorly lucked out with this place. Each of them got their own bedroom, and shared a bathroom. There was a common area that they planned on arranging to be a sort of living area to lounge around in, plus they had a small kitchen. Although the walls were quite bare, Lydia had already redecorated everything in her head.

"I call this room!" Carley called out already halfway through the bedroom doorway.

"Fine! I'm going to make a quick phone call." Lydia swiftly moved into what was now her room. She picked up her phone and dialed the number."

"LYDIA HI!" Kira nearly screamed into the phone.

"Hello to you too Kira." Lydia chuckled slightly.

"How is the new apartment? Is everything you dreamed of?"

"It's really nice. I really lucked out here, and I am so excited for this internship."

"Oh yeah! At the lab right?"

"That's the one! I start in a week which gives some time to settle in here."

Lydia hesitated for a second.

"Have you heard from him?"

The line was quiet for a moment.

"He called Scott about a week ago. Other than that, no." All the excitement in Kira's voice was gone. "When is the last time you heard from him?"

A small sigh escaped Lydia's lips. "He finally responded to one of my million texts about a month and half ago, but that's it."

Silence engulfed the conversation.

"He'll come back Lydia, he always does." It was the only thing Kira could think to say.

"You didn't feel him die or anything right?" Kira was trying to be sarcastic, only hoping to lighten the mood, but they both knew hidden under the words was the actual fear that their beloved friend was no longer with them.

Lydia just simply answered, "No." They were both quiet again.

"Why don't you go get unpacked to clear your head? It's your first apartment for Christ's sake! Go have fun and I want tons of pictures!"

"You make a damn good point you know that?" It brought a small smile to Lydia's lips.

"I know! Love you lots! Call me asap, and plan on me coming to visit sometime soon!"  
"You better Kira. Love you, Talk soon." With that the other end died and Lydia was left staring at her phone. Slowly, she began dialing a number she had now memorized. It rang once, twice, three times, and then voicemail. Taking a deep breath, she began to speak as the beep signaled it was recording.

"Hey..." Her voice was small. "Guess who moved into her first apartment today? It's really nice. I got it because of that internship I talked about last week? Or at least, it was in the voicemail I left last week... Um well, give me a call sometime? You're in the San Fran area aren't you? Or you were at one point. I'm not really sure anymore. None of us are. Anyways, if you are still around we should meet up. It would be great to see you. We miss you..."

There was a slight pause in her message.

"Please call. Bye Stiles."

Lydia clicked the end button and flopped down on the empty bed. Tears used to come with each voicemail she left, but after so many she became numb to the feeling. Why does she even call still at this point? The last time she saw the once sarcastic human was Christmas about six months ago, and that had only been for a brief amount of time. Despite the holidays she never saw him. The occasional text was here and there, and every once in a blue moon she got a phone call, but nothing more.

Over the years, Stiles Stilinski had become a stranger. A part of her hated him for it. This wasn't him. Stiles was the one who was supposed to keep the pack together, not the one to disappear. Senior year was a mess for Lydia. After getting out of Eichen House she was a disaster, but that dumb boy ended up being her saving grace. No one else in the pack knew, but for the rest of the year, the two had gotten quite close. Sure they had been best friends before, this had been something different though. Instead of being attached at the hip, their days were spent to do their personal agendas. Nights although, were spent just basking in the fact that they were both alive. Those nights were quiet nights with not a lot of talking. Just hours spent listening to them breathing. The two simply kept each other grounded. After everything that had happened to them, Lydia cherished every last one of them.

On one of those very nights, Lydia had realized something about what Deaton had once acknowledged. There was a deep connection between Stiles and her, even if she decided to never admit it.

For the years Stiles has been absent, Lydia still felt him. Many times she tried to convince herself that it was just the Banshee in her, but deep down the truth was that their connection was only amplified by her power. Stiles had called it something once,

 _A sort of connection, unspoken of course._

A smile played on her lips as she remembered the memory of Stiles and his buzz cut hair.

Despite everything, the boy had ended up being the one who kept her head above water. When he had first moved away, Lydia had believed things would get better and that he just needed some space. Now, she didn't really know.

 **Hope you enjoyed! If the chapter is short, please feel free to let me know! This is my first story and I am very excited for it! Just to clarify, most of what I write in italics is thoughts. The italics that have quotations marks are other voices that may or may not be in the heads of the characters. I have a lot of fun ideas and can't wait for you to see them! Also, would you guys like me to make a playlist for this story? Let me know! Thank you again for reading! Comments and suggestions are always welcome!**

 **xxx fictionaddict**


	2. 02 Welcome to San Fran

Lydia had only been in her apartment two days and it already felt like home. Her room was decorated and arranged just the way she liked, and the rest of the place was coming around nicely. The only real curveball that had been thrown at her was Carley. Maybe it was because everything was still new, but her roommate was truly... something else. The girl with brown hair had hardly lifted a finger to help Lydia decorate their common space. That, and her boyfriend was **always** over. Toping it all of, he was a total asshole. Lydia wouldn't even say they were in a relationship. They were just some extremely horny people. It honestly made her feel uncomfortable to be in the apartment that was technically hers as well. Most of the time she would just hide in her room, but let's be real, Lydia could only handle so much time being cooped up in the bedroom. So when the devil himself, also known as Kyle, came knocking on their door, the strawberry blonde decided it was a good time to go grocery shopping.

 _Hopefully they will be done with whatever they are doing when I get back._

Grabbing her keys, she headed down to her car. It was a warm summer afternoon. Lydia was sporting her favorite jean shorts paired with a floral tank top and white converse. The sun felt warm on her skin which made her smile softly.

Summer was always her favorite season. Hopping into her car, she instantly threw her long hair into a ponytail. It was too nice out to not have the windows down.

The car started with easy and the radio came to life. Her most recent CD mix was still in its slot, as _Love Me_ by The 1975 was the first song to come through the speakers. Lydia admired the scenery that past as she made her way to the store. This was a new city, a new world to explore.

 _I wish you were here to see this._

The girl thought about calling again, but it was too soon. She never left messages closer than a week apart unless it was in response to his call.

 _Not now Lydia, go enjoy yourself._

In that moment she decided to turn into a cute little coffee shop right down the road from the grocery store. A small treat was needed to honor the beginning of a new chapter in her life.

 _Cheers Lydia._

The room was quiet. It was his day off, and Stiles was taking full advantage of it.

Midafternoon had crept up out of no where, and the boy was contently still lounging around in his flannel pajama pants and white t-shirt. Zeus and him had just finished their third Star Wars movie of the day. Relaxation did not come very often for any member of the Stilinski family, so the day so far had been a real blessing.

His stomached rumbled from hunger loud enough to make the pup next to him a look.

"Come on boy, let's get some lunch."

The dog practically flew off the couch, and was instantly in front of the cabinet that held his food. Stiles couldn't help but chuckle, "Sometimes I worry you like food **too** much." The companion just wagged its tail as the full bowl was placed before him.

Zeus was a good thing in the Stilinski boy's life. On darker days his furry friend seemed to always sense that something was wrong. He would come lay in bed with Stiles for hours if need be. No matter what it was, or for however long it lasted, the faithful hound would stay by his human's side.

Stiles knew that part of the reason he kept Zeus was to have a positive in his life. After drifting away from his friends, he really needed something to help distract him from his own mind. Zeus filled a gap in the life that at one point, Stiles was ready to throw away.

Leftover Chinese food became his lunch of choice. He knew how to cook, but it wasn't ideal. Take out always seemed like the better option. Digging into the fried rice he noticed the flashing light on his cellphone.

 _Lydia._

He still hadn't listened to the voicemail she left him. Stiles got one about once a week. Listening to this one though, was causing an issue. It was getting harder and harder to hear the voices of his friends. _Come on Stilinski._

Moving across the kitchen he grabbed his phone and pressed play.

"We miss you." Three simple words that Lydia would remind him every message, and each message his heart would drop.

Zeus had finished his food and plopped down at his person's feet.

"You know what, Zeus? My friends would love you."

Stiles gave him a quick pat on the head. "I wish you could meet them." His voice was filled with sadness.

 _"They would love me too Stiles."_ After so many years, the eerie voice still managed to startle him.

 _Leave me alone._

 _"Come on Stiles, let me meet that dog of yours. Let me come out and play."_

 _Get the hell out of my head._

Hidden in the cabinet above the fridge held a bottle of whiskey that was kept for when the voice got to loud. Stiles had learned the hard way of what happens if he waits too long to calm the demon in his head. He took a drag straight from the bottle, the amber liquor burning its way down his throat. It was not the healthiest form of therapy, but truth be told his drinking habits had gone down a dark path in the past. The alcohol now was more a jump start. A sip here and there allowed him a small amount of time to move on to other distractions. One of those, was running.

"Come on boy, we are going for a run."

Zeus loved to run and Stiles loved their runs. Exercise had been something he had constantly turned to to let out frustrations and help clear his mind. The pup wagged its tail happily as he turned to retrieve his leash. That was probably the boy's favorite trick the feline knew.

A few minutes later they were out the door and basking in the California summer air. His mind wandered back to the voicemail.

 _She lives here now._

Stiles was nervous he would run into her. Unlike Beacon Hills, San Francisco was a big city, so what were the chances really? As much as he forced to the surface the idea that it would be bad if he saw her, deep down all he wanted was to see the strawberry blonde who once consumed his thoughts.

 _Maybe I will call her later._

It was going on two months now since he had last contacted her, so inn that moment Stiles swore he would _actually_ call her as soon as he got back from his run.

"Come on Zeus, lets go."

Stiles put his headphones in, blocking out the world, and just ran.

Two hours later Lydia had packed the car with food that ranged from fresh fruit to ice cream. It cost a bit outside her price range for the week, but it was her first grocery store run and was quite literally starting from scratch.

It was early evening now. The sun was starting to lower itself in the sky as the surrounding clouds swirled into different shades of red and orange. Lydia spent most of the drive home thinking of what she was going to make for dinner, and that she needed to go shopping for work clothes. Her internship started in a few days and she would be lying to say she wasn't nervous.

When the parking area came into view, Lydia parked in the same spot her car sat once before. The next matter of business; how was she going to get all this upstairs?

 _I'll text Carley._

Lydia grabbed her phone from the driver's seat and prayed that Kyle had left by now, meaning Carley would actually answer her phone. Texting and walking had never been Lydia's strong suit, but she wasn't expecting was having to stop herself from tripping over the full grown German Shepherd that now sat at the foot of her car.

"Holy shit you scared me!" Lydia knelt down next to the dog. "You seem friendly. What's your name hun?"

Right on cue a male voice echoed through the air. "Zeus! Here boy!"

Lydia looked up to spot the owner of the mystery dog rounded the corner, and it about just made her fall over.

"I'm so sorry. He just took off. I don't know what... Lydia?"

Stiles was paralyzed. Lydia Martin was standing no more than ten feet away from him. What was she doing here?

 _She just moved here dumbass._

He couldn't take his eyes off her. She looked beautiful as always. Jean shorts, floral tank top, and her hair in a messy bun. She wore her natural makeup and Stiles just couldn't stop himself from taking ever inch of her in.

"Hi Stiles." Her voice was shakier than she realized. "Its been awhile."

Stiles Stilinski was standing in front of her. It had been six months since she last saw him, and now out of no where, here he was.

Lydia looked him over. Athletic shorts and a cut off shirt that displayed his toned arms and flashes of his core hidden beneath. She noted the facial hair that he now sported.

 _That's new._

His outfit, along with the layer of sweat that glistened off his skin, clued that he had just got back from a run. To sum it up, he looked,well,

 _Damn._

"What are you doing here?" Lydia's thoughts were interrupted by the small voice that escaped his lips.

"Um, this is my building. I just moved here, like I said in my voicemail.." She trailed off at the end. He hadn't responded to her message.

Stiles nervously chuckled. _Big city alright._

"Funny, I was actually just about to call you back. I guess I don't need to now." He took a deep breath. "I live in this building too."

Thoughts and questions swarmed the strawberry blonde's head. Lydia didn't know if she should scream at him, or hug him, so she opted for both.

Without even thinking she moved to stand in front of the boy she hadn't seen in so long. "What the hell Stilinski?" Two seconds later, Lydia had him wrapped up in a bear hug. She just couldn't believe it was actually him.

Stiles had been a bit taken back, but almost automatically he wrapped his arms around the tiny frame. "Good to see you too Martin." He didn't know if it was just him missing his friends, but hugging Lydia allowed him for just a second forget everything that was going on.

The two hugged for a minute longer. Silence surrounded them, but there was no real reason to speak.

Breaking apart finally, Stiles felt a combination of emotions. He was terrified she was here. She couldn't be. There was a reason he left, but now here she is. How was he going to do this? Stiles didn't even notice that Zeus had made his way back over to him.

"You never told me you got a dog." Lydia's voice was awkward. She was trying her best to avoid the elephant in the room.

 _Why did you leave?_

Those four words were the only thing running through her head.

"Oh, um, yeah. This is Zeus. I found him on the streets awhile back and I just couldn't give him up."

The pup at their feet smiled happily at the two friends. "Cute name." Lydia smirked.

Stiles could only nod.

 _What do I do?_

"I don't mean to cut this short, but I-I should go." He took a few steps backwards.

 _You need to protect her._

Lydia's mind was racing a mile a minute. "Wait! Um, could you actually help me bring these groceries up? I got a little excited with my first trip to the grocery store and well you know how I get when I shop? I was gonna call my roommate but..."

 _Lydia! You're rambling._

"Sorry I'm rambling." Immediately her cheeks started to get warm.

"Oh, yeah sure. I mean, I guess we do live in the same building now."

 _Again, big city my ass._ Stiles thought.

"Great!" Lydia turned before the boy could notice that her cheeks were getting red.

The two grabbed the bags from the back of Lydia's car and made their way up the stairs. Stiles had made a pit stop at his own apartment to drop Zeus off, allowing for Lydia to figure out he was actually only a floor below her.

They made their way up the next flight of stairs. No one said anything, but surprisingly a comfortable silence was in the air.

When they reached the apartment, Lydia fumbled with her keys until she finally got the door to unlock.

"You can just set them on the counter by the fridge."

Cautiously, Stiles made his way into the apartment. It looked exactly like his except for the extra bedroom. "So who is your roommate?" Everything in his being was screaming at him to get the hell out of their, but something deep down kept his feet still.

"Her name is Carley. We knew each other from college. She should actually be here somewhere..." As if on cue the brunette sprang to life.

"Lydia! You didn't tell me you were having a guest over!" Carley appeared in the doorframe of her bedroom. The brunette was dressed in her normal bootie shorts and too tight tank top, or as she called it 'lounging clothes.' Lydia had never understood how that outfit was supposed to be comfortable. "Hey I know you!" Carley started making her way towards Stiles who was now leaning up against the kitchen counter.

"You're the guy I saw the day we moved in! You were leaving for work I believe." The brunette was now standing quite close to the Stilinski boy which made Lydia's insides twist for some reason. Luckily she could see discomfort on the boy's face.

"Lydia, how do you now over here?" The strawberry blonde watched as her roommate undressed the boy before them with her eyes.

Stiles wasn't even trying to hide his discomfort at this point. "Friends from high school." He kept his sentences short so he wouldn't stutter. "I was just leaving though. Gotta go feed the dog. It was nice meeting you." Stiles was already half way out the door when he locked eyes with the familiar emeralds Lydia held. "Good to see you Lyds., Welcome to San Fran." And then he was gone.

 _That's it?_

A wave of disappointment crashed over her. _Why'd he leave so fast?_ Her mind screamed that it was Carley's fault, but her heart whispered something else.

"Lydia Martin please tell me that gods name." There as hunger in her roommate's eyes.

"Stiles." Lydia glared at the girl.

"Hm, I don't know what a Stiles is, but I want one."

"He isn't an object Carley. Besides don't have Kyle."

This bitch was smirking now. "Calm down sweetheart. Kyle and I have a very open relationship."

Lydia could feel her blood boiling. "Please leave my friend alone."

A devilish grin emerged onto Carley's lips. "Maybe."

With that she turned and made her way back to the bedroom.

Lydia stood there in shock. This last hour had her head spinning, and all she wanted to do was scream.

 **SHIT IS GOING DOWNNNN! What did you guys think? Our favorite pair finally ran into each other! I did decide to make a playlist for this because music is wonderful and so is Stydia lol. I will get that done as soon as possible! The goal (emphasis on goal) is to update every Wednesday for "Writing Wednesdays." Thoughts? Ideas? Comments? Let me know! Thank you for reading, I truly appreciate it. Until the next chapter, lots of love.**

 **xxx fictionaddict**


	3. 03 Promise

**Two weeks later.**

"Ms. Martin!"

"Coming Sir!"

It was Lydia's second week at her internship and things were not going the way she thought they would. Her official title was "Lab Assistant" but in reality she was the cleaning crew and coffee runner.

"Here you go sir, double espresso."

"Station 3 needs to be cleaned."

Lydia kept her fake smiled plastered to her face, "Of course Mr. Johnson."

In the simplest of terms, Mr. Johnson was an ass. Her boss was always barking orders and being extremely rude towards her. He reminded her of a 40 something year old Jackson. It made Lydia cringe. She was supposed to be helping with the experiments and research, not cleaning it up.

 _All great people started somewhere._

No one pushed Lydia around, but this job was her gateway into the science world.

A small sigh escaped her lips as she cleared away some beakers.

"Ms. Martin!" She was being summoned for the thousandth time today.

 _It's only temporary._

Lydia plastered another smile , "Coming sir!"

Today was not a good day to be Stiles Stilinski. He had been roped into working a double shift after his boss bitched him out. The car he had been working on was worse off than his Jeep, and that was saying something. Stiles had tried telling him there was no real saving it. After a few choice words, his boss decided to give him the closing shift on top of the morning shift Stiles had just busted his ass through.

The boy was tired physically, and mentally. The thing inside his head was especially loud today. Comment after comment about how he was worthless and should just give it up already. By the time Stiles got home, he found himself on the edge of a breakdown. Old habits surfaced, as he had already lost count of how many glasses of whiskey he had that evening. His mind was numb, and that's how he wanted it.

Zeus and him were curled up on the couch. Music moved threw the air from the speakers of his laptop. It was his personal playlist, "DROWN OUT THE WORLD" was its name. A combination of all his favorite songs filed into one place. Listening to music always helped clear his mind. Currently, all Stiles wanted to focus on was his glass of whiskey, and the lyrics.

Halsey was the voice he was currently focusing on.

 _You can't wake up, this is not a dream_

 _You're part of a machine, you are not a human being_

 _With you face all made up, living on a screen_

 _Low on self esteem, so you run on gasoline._

"Okay, too close to home right now." Stiles sat up and switched songs.

"UGH!" By the 1975 started, as he decided to go refill his glass.

"Last one, I swear." Was all he mumbled, watching as the amber liquid filled his cup.

The boy took a swig and tuned into the song.

"Zeus, let me tell ya, this is a great song by an even greater band."

Stiles then began to do a little dance around the kitchen, singing the lyrics loud and proud.

There was just enough alcohol coursing through his veins that keep him in a perfect state. Despite the sadness that resigned in him, sometimes he was able to mask it for just a moment.

His furry companion was one of the few things that brought out that happiness, and allowed him to keep some sliver of hope that some day everything will be okay again.

"And you're the only thing going on in my mind, taking over my life a second time!"

Stiles continued to sing along when he heard a knock on the door.

"I don't have the capacity for fucking; you're meant to be helping me"

He swiftly made his way to the door, not a second thought that the lyrics continued to spill from his mouth.

"When I said I liked better without my money, I lied. It took a little while to recognize, that, I'm not giving it up again!" Stiles swung the door open as he hit the last note. His little dance was put to a brunt stop, and to be honest, he about fell over.

"Hey Stiles."

There, Lydia awkwardly stood, trying to hold back the laugh that threatened to escape her lips.

"You put on quite the performance."

Heat raced to his cheeks. "Sorry about that.. What can I do for ya?" Despite living in the same building, they hadn't seen each other since the run in.

"Um.." Lydia didn't really know why she was here, well sort of.

After a shitty day at work she came home to a very annoyed Carley. They fought a bit and then Kyle came over. She just couldn't sit there anymore. The next thing she knew; she was walking down the stairs and knocking on the newly familiar door.

"I thought that maybe I could bribe you with some homemade pizza in hopes that you let me hang out here for a bit?" It came out more of a question than a statement.

Stiles hadn't even noticed what she was holding.

 _Don't do it._

"Yeah sure."

 _Damn it Stilinski._

He moved aside to let her in. "Zeus come say hi."

The pup was up and off the couch immediately. His tail wagged happily as he greeted the two.

"Good boy." Stiles smiled proudly as Lydia knelt down to pet him.

"He's a real cutie. I always pegged you as the one of our friends to get a dog first. I can't believe you never mentioned it."

Stiles could only shrugged awkwardly. "It never came up I guess."

Lydia stood and took in her surroundings. It was the exact same layout as her apartment, except this one didn't feel like much of a home. There weren't any decorations or pictures on the wall. Just some plain furniture. A couch and tv sat in the living room, while there was a small table and chairs in the kitchen. It wasn't much, but I guess if you live alone you don't need a lot.

The two continued to awkwardly stand there silently. Neither of them really knew what to say, and it was driving Lydia mad. They were supposed to be best friends, so why was there something weird in the air between them?

"So..." Stiles suddenly spoke. "Can I offer you anything to drink? Water? Soda?"

"Whiskey?" Lydia quickly interjected. She had noticed the bottle right away. The fact he was drinking so early wasn't what surprised her, but that she knew he only drank when something was wrong.

The boy's eyes went wide. "Shit, sorry, it's been a rough day."

Lydia nodded, thinking back on her own.

"Fair enough. As long as that bottle wasn't opened tonight." She teased. "Mind sharing?"

N-no it wasn't opened tonight. Of course not. I mean," Stiles was fumbling over his words.

"Let me get you a glass."

Moving towards the cupboards he retrieved another glass and filled it with the amber liquid. Despite his better judgment, he refilled his own.

" _Why'd you lie Stiles? We both know you opened that bottle a couple hours ago. Why don't you tell her I say hello? She's gotten real pretty. Even prettier than the first time we met."_

A shiver ran down Stiles' spine. Memories of the Nogistune taking Lydia all those years ago came flooding back.

"Not now." Stiles begged.

"What's that?" Lydia was currently sitting at the kitchen table and had started cutting the pizza.

"Nothing. Just grabbing some plates."

Stiles immediately joined her at the table, plates and glasses in hand.

"So what happened today to make it a whiskey night?" She sipped he drink, taking in the burning feeling it left at the back of her throat.

"My boss is an ass." The boy explained. "After bitching me out for something that wasn't even my fault he gave me the closing shift on top of the shift I had already almost completed." He chuckled humorlessly before taking a sip of his drink. "The guy is a real peach."

Lydia nodded. "I can relate to that, pizza?" She handed him a slice and Stiles didn't hesitate in taking it. He moaned slightly as he bit into it, "Damn Martin, I missed your pizza."

A small blush crept onto her cheeks. "I missed making it." Her voice had a hint of sadness. Back in high school, many of the nights they spent together were making pizza. Both their parents worked a lot so most nights they were left to make dinner for themselves.

They still hadn't talked about why he went away. If she were to be honest, the air between them still felt weird. They could make conversation, but there was tension. Lydia had noticed how her friend had changed over the years. She didn't know what it was, but it seemed as though something continuously laid heavy on the boy's shoulders. Like he had something heavy on his heart. She took a moment of to observe him. Black V neck, khaki shorts, and a New York Mets baseball hat. His eyes looked tired, but a faint smile fell on his lips. He looked older. They were of course now 22 and not in high school. College makes you grow up, that's for sure.

"Whatcha thinking about?" His soft voice interrupted her thoughts.

"My internship." She lied.

"Oh yeah! How is that going?"

Lydia groaned. "Not as well as I had hoped. I'm basically the janitor that brings the boss coffee. It sucks because I was supposed to be helping with the research."

"I'm sorry Lyds. It's not forever though. You're the smartest person I know! I bet in a year you'll be the top ranked scientist there." For a moment, he looked like a proud dad. His amber eyes were gleaming, and he was flashing that winning smile. Lydia could only nod, trying to hold back her own smile. She had missed seeing that smile of his.

"Do you have work tomorrow?" He asked suddenly.

"No. The lab is closed on weekends."

"Perfect." Stiles suddenly got up and moved back to the kitchen. He felt great, and it wasn't because of the slight buzz he had going on. No, Lydia had brought in a sense of home into his lonely apartment, and for the first time in a long time, he felt happy.

"What are you doing?" Lydia called, still sitting at the table.

"Remember back in high school we'd stay up till the early hours of the morning eating junk food and just goofing off?"

"How could I forget?" Lydia smirked.

"Well, we are way overdue for one of those nights. This time though, we have this." He held up two bottles of whiskey.

"You're on Stilinski."

An hour later the two friends were laying side by side on the floor of the living room area.

"Stiles?" Lydia giggled.

"Yeah?"

"I'm drunk."

"Me too." They laughed. It was around midnight. Zeus was asleep on the couch while Lydia and Stiles laid on the floor and talked.

"I'm really glad I ran into you." The strawberry blonde turned to look at the boy. "I missed you." Her voice was hardly above a whisper now.

A wave of guilt erupted threw out Stiles. He hated when he was the reason she was sad.

"I missed you too Lyds."

Of course he did. This was Lydia freakin Martin. The girl that had consumed his thoughts since third grade through all of high school. Besides Scott, she was his best friend. They had been to hell and back, all of them, together.

"Why did you leave Stiles?" The alcohol was giving her the courage to finally acknowledge the elephant in the room. "Why did you leave the pack?"

Silence fell between them as the boy's mind raced a million miles an hour. He knew that this was going to come up.

"I had to get away. I couldn't stay there anymore. It just got to be too much."

"You didn't just leave Beacon Hills Stiles! You left the pack! Scott, Kira, Liam.."

Lydia felt tears threatening to escape. "Me."

And with that one word, Stiles felt his heart break. Was he causing more pain than he was preventing? "Lydia.. I'm so sorry." It was all he was able to say.

"I will forgive you on one condition." Her voice was stern. "Promise you will come back to us."

 _Would they even want me back?_ Stiles thought for a moment. He hasn't been the same for awhile. Now he is haunted by a voice in his head and lives day by day thanks to a happy pill, and some other "home" remedies.

Looking at the strawberry blonde that laid next to him on the floor, he knew that just like before, he could never tell her no.

"I promise Lyds." It wasn't going to be easy to keep his secret, but he still stood by the idea of keeping this burden off his friends' shoulders. Stiles would keep that wall up as long as he had to if it meant it kept her smiling.

"Good." She jumped up suddenly. "Now dance with me."

The music had been playing since the moment she knocked on his apartment door. Ed Sheeran's "Tenerife Sea" was currently playing in the background.

"I'll pass." Stiles chuckled.

Lydia put her hands on her hips and gave him a smug look. " Stiles Stilinski get off your cute little ass and dance with me." This of course caused them both to laugh as they thought back to when the tables were turned at their Winter Formal so many years ago. He put his hands up in defeat and stood to join his first date to a school dance.

Lydia snaked her arms around his neck while Stiles placed his around her waist. The two swayed silently to the music.

 _We are surrounded by all of these lies_

 _And people who talk too much_

 _You've got that kind of look in your eyes_

 _As if no one knows anything but us_

Stiles twirls her which causes Lydia to laugh. Her face was flushed from the alcohol, strawberry blonde curls flying everywhere. The makeup she once wore started to fade, and Stiles could start to see the faint freckles that sprinkled her face. All he could do was stare.

 _Gorgeous as always._ Stiles thought. In that moment, he realized this was the calmest his mind had been in quite sometime. Stiles actually felt at ease. He wasn't sure how it was possible, but he could only guess it had something to do with the long lost friend that stood before him.

"Earth to Stilesssss" Lydia drew out his name and brought him straight back down from his thoughts.

"Sorry Lyds just thinking."

"About what?" Her emerald eyes were full of curiosity.

"You of course." A smirk played on his lips.

Lydia just rolled her eyes. "Whatever Stilinski."

The song had ended some time ago but the two still stood wrapped up in one another.

"I should get going." Lydia whispered and earning a frown from Stiles. Neither of them really wanted to move.

Stiles was the one who broke apart first. He was already saddened that she was leaving, but holding on would only make it worse. A sad mind was never good for him anyways.

"Want me to walk you upstairs?" He offered, but avoiding her emerald eyes.

Lydia just chuckled. "I think I'll be okay."  
The boy nodded as she started to gather her belongings, and then the two walked silently to the front door.

"You know if,um, your roommate ever gets on your nerves again you could, um, come by again." Stiles felt himself blushing, but hoped his already pink cheeks from the whiskey would mask it.

"I might just have to take you up on that offer." She smirked at him.

"Okay." His voice was quiet. "Goodnight Lydia."

"Goodnight Stiles." She gave him a small smile, and then vanished out the door.

 **Nice reference to season one right? I struggled a little with this chapter. Trying to set it up right for later chapters that I am EXTREMELY excited to write! I know the beginning is a little slow but hang in there. Things will be picking up soon enough! The playlist is coming along, I have just been extremely busy with school so it is not completed yet. I will either post that separately between now and the next chapter, or I will just add it to the next upload. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Comments? Thoughts? Ideas? Let me know!**

 **Until the next chapter, lots of love.**

 **xxx fictionaddict**


	4. 04 Tortilla Soup

Days went by and the two continued with their lives. They would go to their miserable jobs hoping that they would pay off in the end. As agreed upon, Lydia would come by Stiles' apartment whenever Carley got to be too much. Things were slowly going back to normal, but after years of not hanging out, it could still be awkward at times. Most of the time their evenings together were spent in silence. Sometimes they would watch a movie together, and others they would sit around a read while music played softly in the background. There was nothing really special about the hours they spent together, but to Stiles they were hours that kept his mind at bay.

Lydia of course still knew nothing about the voice in his head or that his day to day life was based on the effects of the little "happy pills" he had stashed away in his bathroom. His strawberry blonde companion wasn't going to know anytime soon either. He had caused her enough burdens. Stiles was responsible for plenty of the packs burdens. Despite his efforts in high school, Stiles was not as capable of protecting himself like the others. He was the sole human and was no match for the supernatural creatures they faced. All he had been was extra weight. Along with that, Stiles lived with the weight on his heart that he was the reason Allison and Aiden were dead. In the simplest terms, his mental state hasn't been the same since. He believed he caused enough pain for the pack, so it all became a secret.

It was a warm summer afternoon. Lydia had gotten off of work early and was currently sitting on the Stilinski boy's couch reading a book and curled up with Zeus. Stiles was in the kitchen making dinner which to Lydia's surprise, was not something microwavable.

"When did you start cooking again?" She called to the boy who was rapidly moving across the kitchen.

"When did you become my dog's favorite?" Stiles smirked back causing the girl to roll her eyes.

"I started cooking when I started living on my own. I learned a lot from trial and error, but I always found it relaxing. Problem is, I kinda stopped because it was just me and that's when take out came in to play." Stiles stirred the pot of soup.

"Now with you coming around from time to time though, I thought it might be a good idea to start having so _real_ food around."

Lydia chuckled. "Well.. that's sweet of you." A small blush creeped across her cheeks. Why was she blushing?

"What are you making?" She said, pushing her previous thoughts aside.

"Chicken tortilla soup. I got the recipe from Scott's mom."

"When will it be ready?"

"Right now!" He exclaimed proudly. Lydia jumped off the couch and as the two were just about to be seated, Stiles' phone rang. At first the boy was confused. No one called him, ever. He sent the strawberry blonde an apologetic look as he crossed the kitchen to retrieve his phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey son."

Stiles was surprised to here his dad on the other end. "Hey dad. How's it going? Everything okay?"

"Yes of course. I know when we talk you are the one to normally call, but I got off early tonight and it's been awhile. What have you been up to?"

The boy shrugged. "Same old same old. Working to pay for school and such. The shop of course is still a bit of a bitch, but hey it pays the bills."

He paused. "This might surprise you, but I'm actually having dinner with Lydia at the moment..." Stiles looked over at the girl seated at his kitchen table.

There was silence on the other end. "Lydia Martin? Like high school Lydia? The one you had a crush on since-"

"Yes dad that's the one!" Stiles was starting to get slightly flustered. "She,um, moved her a few weeks back. We live in the same building so she comes over sometimes."

"Stiles that is fantastic! I mean, you have a friend out there now."

Another pause.

"You have to bring her next weekend."

 _Next weekend? What's next weekend? Wait. Shit._

"Dad no that would be weird wouldn't it? She's only lived here a short time she might not want to be running back to Beacon Hills yet and we are still moving towards getting things back to normal. I mean-"

"Stiles just shut up and ask. Melissa and I will be extremely disappointed if you don't."

The boy could only sigh. "Okay okay. You don't need to start bringing Melissa into this ."

"That a boy." He could hear the smirk in his father's voice. "Now go get back to her. I better see you both next weekend."

"Yeah yeah dad I will do my best. Love you."

"I love you too son. See you soon."

Stiles smiled softly at his phone. Despite his father being a pain in the ass, he still meant the world to him.

"Soooo? What was that about?" Lydia smirked as Stiles sat across from her. A faint blush was still settled on his face. She had already taken the liberty to start eating, and might she say the soup was fantastic. Honestly, she never would have expected it from the brown haired boy that sat across from her.

"Oh. Sorry, that was my dad. He got off early and just wanted to check in on me." Stiles scratched the back of his neck like he always did when he became nervous.

"Awe! How is he doing? You must tell him I say hi next time." Back n high school, Lydia and the Stilinski father had gotten close just like her and his son. During lacrosse season, Lydia would come over just to talk with the sheriff while Stiles was at practice. He was a humble man, and Lydia soon understood where Stiles got it from.

"You could actually tell him yourself." Stiles said shyly.

Lydia tilted her head to the side as curiosity filled her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Uh well. Next weekend I am going back to Beacon Hills for, um, a wedding."

"A WHAT?" She didn't mean to yell, but Lydia loved weddings. How could she not?

Stiles nervously chewed at his fingernail. "Yeah. My dad and Melissa, they are getting married next weekend."

Lydia blankly stared at the boy for a moment. "What the hell Stilinski how come you didn't tell me sooner?"

The boy put his hands up in defense. "It slipped my mind! I already think of Melissa as my mother, and Scott as my brother. If I'm being honest here it feels like my dad and Melissa have been married for years now."

Lydia huffed and leaned back in her chair as she was clearly still bothered he didn't tell her earlier.

"Actually, my dad was wondering, well I mean, I think it would be cool if you did too.. I mean we were wondering if you'd like to come?" His nerves were getting the best of him as he failed to form a proper sentences. "I mean only if you want. It's not a big deal my dad and I were just talking. I mean obviously you were sitting in the same room as me. Okay I'm done rambling."

Lucky for the Stilinski boy, Lydia found his stuttering and nervousness cute, not that she would even admit it. "I'd love to go."

Stiles let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Wait really? That's the best news I've heard all day! Scott and Kira will be there too. It'll be nice to have the four of us back together." A smile formed on his lips as he continued, "We can drive down after work Friday and then the wedding is Saturday. Lyds it is a date!"

Immediately his face dropped. "I-I mean it's a... whatever it is."

Lydia couldn't help but roll her eyes as she smirked at her long lost best friend who so flawlessly labeled a majority of what went on between them. "Yes Stiles, it's a whatever it is."

Looks like Beacon Hills is having a wedding! I don't know about you guys but I love weddings and am very excited to be having one in this story. Sorry this chapter is slightly shorter than the others. Still deciding if I make the wedding story into one long chapter or two chapters. Also, are my chapters short? Guess what else! I finally published the playlist! I have it uploaded to a website called "8tracks" and will be keeping it there. I'm sure I will be adding more music to it as the story goes on. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Comments? Thoughts? Ideas? Let me know!

Until the next chapter, lots of love.

xxx fictionaddict

 **Playlist:** /xxprincess-paigexx/wake-up


	5. 05 Hurricane

"Lyds we've gotta go!"

It was finally Friday. The sun was shining and a slight breeze filled the air. Both Stiles and Lydia had fortunately gotten off work early, so the two were hoping to make it back to Beacon Hills in time to see everyone before the big day.

Stiles was leaned up against his baby blue Jeep slightly annoyed that they weren't on the road yet due to a certain strawberry blonde.

"Stiles just five more minutes I swear. I just need to go say goodbye to Carley and we can leave."

It was taking every ounce of will power for Lydia not to roll her eyes. "Just get the car started and find some good music."

Stiles could hardly get a hum of a response out before she started making her way upstairs. Once Lydia was out of sight she took out her cellphone.

Carley and her had already said goodbye this morning before work.

One ring.

Two rings.

Three rings.

"Hello?" The girl breathed out a sigh of relief. "Hey Scott."

The alpha, and the banshee. It's an interesting combination, but their friendship worked. The two didn't call much, but that is because they never felt the need to. In the beginning, when Stiles first got up and left, it had hit them the hardest. They were the only three left who had been there since the beginning. The three of them had been through the most, and losing another member took its toll. Scott and Lydia grew close as they mourned the lost of their friend. Obviously Stiles wasn't dead, but there were periods of time where he might as well have been.

"Scott I've got to talk to about something. It's about Stiles."

The other end was silent.

"I found him."

Still silence.

"It was crazy Scott. He's still here in San Francisco. We live the the same building. How insane is that? Did you know he had a dog now? I almost tripped over it trying to get groceries out of my car. He's here Scott; Stiles is here."

The line was still quiet. Lydia would have thought he hung up if it wasn't for the slight sound of his breathing.

"Here's where it gets weirder. I'm two minutes away from getting in the car with him. We are coming back for the wedding. Mr. Stilinski called and-"

"Stiles is coming to the wedding?" His voice spoke up suddenly. It was quiet, but Lydia couldn't quite define its tone. She could hear surprise and sadness, but at he same time there was excitement and joy.

"Yes." Her voice was suddenly caught in her throat.

There was a pause. "I can't believe it." He sounded breathless.

"Lydia we gotta bring him back. We gotta really try this weekend."

The banshee could only nod as she tried to hold back tears. "He's not the same Scott; something is wrong. I don't know what it is but I'm going to find out. Not this weekend though. This weekend is about getting the pack back together." A sad smile played on her lips. The idea of bringing back the boy to his once sarcastic self made her heart swell. She missed that; they all did.

The two were quiet for another moment longer, both of them taking in what had just been said.

Stiles was finally coming home.

"I should get going before he notices." Lydia was the one to break the silence. "I'll see you soon Scott." Tears were now escaping her emerald eyes.

"Its all going to be okay Lydia. I promise."

"I know."

The two said goodbye and Lydia wiped her tears as she traveled back to the boy and his jeep.

"There you are! I thought Zeus was about to jump right out of his seat from anticipation. Alright lets get going. We can probably still make it back in time to spend some time with everyone like you-" It was in that moment that Stiles finally gave up on his rambling and noticed the tear stained face and glossy emerald eyes.

"Hey," He took a step towards her, lightly placing his hand on her arm. "Are you okay Lyds?"

All Lydia wanted to do was breakdown and tell him everything, but now wasn't the time.

"I'm fine." She simply lied, plastering a fake smile on her face and quickly making her way to the passenger's side of the car.

Confusion and concern were written across the boy's face, but he felt as though he wasn't worthy of prying. It had been years since the two talked like that anyways. The boy just got into the drivers side without another word on the matter.

"You ready?" His voice was hesitant, and Lydia could only nod, not trusting her voice at the moment. Rosco came to life without a stutter, signaling the beginning of the the trip back to where it all started.

Half way through their journey, and the world was quiet. Stiles was driving, Zeus patiently laid in the back, and Lydia slept peacefully to his right.

The trio was currently driving along the California coast. Sunshine warmed their skin, and salty ocean air flowed through the open windows. Music played softly from the worn-out stereo, and Stiles was wondering when the last time he appreciated something as simple as a summer day.

He snuck a glance at the girl next time him. She was sound asleep, curled up into the seat. Sweatpants and a t-shirt dressed her, along with hardly any makeup designing her face. Strawberry blonde curls cascaded down her frame, and a few fell across her face. Stiles had to fight the urge to brush those perfect curls out of her face.

Freckles danced across the bridge of her nose, but few knew of them. Normally Lydia covered them up, and Stiles was still searching for the reason why.

I love those freckles.

Her features were soft from sleep, and a small smile played on her lips. She looked peaceful, and it seemed as though the years had turned back. Lydia Martin, 22, now looked as young as her freshman year self.

Memories of high school flooded back to him. All those years ago, Lydia wouldn't even acknowledge his existence. Now she's coming to his father's wedding. Stiles still couldn't believe she was here. It felt like a dream, and he was constantly worried that he was going to wake up. Although it still terrified him she was there, he was also grateful.

The years he was away were lonely and darker than Stiles would like to admit. He hit new lows, and his mind took over.

Depression.

Stiles wasn't a stranger to the mental disorder. Sadness had left a hole in his soul, and a dark cloud seemed to hang over his head.

I deserve it.

"And why do you deserve this Stiles?" Goosebumps raised on his skin as the unwanted guest continued his speech.

"Oh that's right. It's because you are the reason that pretty brunette is dead. Allison right? You took to her like a sister, and you're the one who killed her."

Images of Allison flashed across his mind as tears began to sting his eyes.

You don't get to talk about her.

An eerie chuckle echoed within him; one that made his bones shake.

"Fine. I'll talk about that werewolf you got killed as well. He was a part of your little pack, well at least he was trying to be."

Stiles felt his chest start to tighten. He chanced a glance at the sleeping girl next to him.

She hadn't moved an inch.

"How could I forget? That pretty girl next to you was seeing that half boy, half wolf. I know you didn't like that she was seeing him. Not because he was a bad guy though, no, it was because you were jealous. You wanted that to be you. You **knew** that should have been you."

"Please, just stop." A few tears trickled down his face. Sadness grew within him, and what pained him the most was the devil himself wasn't wrong.

"Come on Stiles, we both know they all blame you. Let me in and I will make you strong again. I can give an actual purpose to the worthless person you've become."

His eyes burned,

His chest clenched,

And suddenly, he couldn't breath.

Panic attack.

"Wake up Stiles." His voice was labored from lack of oxygen. Quickly, he pulled the car over to the side of the road.

The sudden jerk of the car caused Lydia to wake from her slumber.

"What's going on?" Sleep cloaked her voice, but didn't mask her confusion. Stiles didn't even mumble a response before bolting out the driver's seat door.

"Stiles?" she called. What is going on? Confusion was replaced with concern and panic of her own. Not even a moment later Lydia was out the Jeep door. "Stiles, what is going on?"

No answer. "Stiles this isn't funny. What the hell is happening?"

That's when she saw him. There he stood, curled into himself and visibly shaking. His face was stained with tears, and she saw a few glistening in his eyes. He turned away from her as he tried to calm himself.

"Stiles are you okay? Are you having a panic attack?" She tried reaching for him, but Stiles quickly raised a hand to stop her.

Wake up Stiles. You've done this before, now calm down.

He captured what little oxygen was left in his lungs, and as if one cue, the shaking stopped. Lydia watched as the boy slowly uncurled, and saw his shoulders relaxed. In a blink of an eye he went from hopeless, to back in control.

"How did you do that?" She could only whisper.

Stiles inhaled deeply, regaining oxygen into his system. "I held my breath. Just like you suggested all those years ago." A blush crept across his cheeks. "That's how I always stop my panic attacks." Stiles couldn't look her in the eyes. He basically just admitted that every time he has a panic attack he thinks about their one and only kiss. At least she doesn't know how many he's really had over the years.

Stiles took a chance, and looked up at the girl who was now standing in front of him. Lydia too had rosey cheeks, and was staring down at her sandals and clipped toenail polish.

"I'm glad I could help." Her voice was soft and sweet making, Stiles' heart skip a beat.

"Are you okay?" Lydia had now met his gaze; it was gold on emerald.

"Yeah. I'm sorry for the scare. I was getting anxious about making it to Beacon Hills in time and I let it get the best of me."

It was only a partial lie. Stiles had been nervous, but the whole truth needed to be kept locked away. His words flowed freely and easily due to the many years of covering up the storm that brewed inside him. That was the new Stiles Stilinski, calm as still water on the outside, but deep within him, a hurricane raged.

 **First off I want to apologize for not uploading on Wednesday. I had a very important test and didn't have the chance to finish what I needed for this chapter. Continuing from that I want to let you guys know that this could quite possibly happen next week as well. Exams are next week and school needs to come first. Nonetheless, thank you so much for reading my little story. I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for you and I can't thank you enough. Comments? Suggestions? Thoughts? Let me know!**

 **Until the next chapter, lots of love,**

 **Xxx fictionaddict**


	6. 06 Sarcasm

For the rest of the car ride Lydia made sure to stay awake. The Stilinski boy assured her that it was fine and that she should rest, but she would just shake her head and say she was. No more questions were asked about the earlier incident. Lydia couldn't help but wonder if there was more to the boy's story. Like many of her assumptions lately, she kept them to herself.

Instead the two spent their time in the beat jeep listening to soft music and comfortable silence. Small talk was made on occasion, but Stiles mainly focused on the road and Lydia watched the surrounding world passed them. The two would sneak glances at one another when the other wasn't looking. At some point Lydia found the boy's forearm that perched on the arm rest, and started tracing patterns up and down it. She had felt the boy tense when her fingertips first grazed his arm, but soon enough he relaxed and Lydia soon realized the longer she traced, the more his face seemed to soften.

Lydia was nervous for the weekend. Her conversation with Scott replayed in her head like a broken record.

Was their plan going to work?

Will they finally snap Stiles out of this funk he'd been in for all these years?

Lydia glanced at her road trip partner. His face had completely softened, and with the sunshine pouring in, his face was practically glowing.

His eyes were set in concentration, scanning the road as they drove. He looked older. Mainly due to the facial hair, but Lydia could still depict the moles that sprinkled his face.

"Whatcha looking at?" Stiles didn't take his eyes off the road, but Lydia swore she saw a smirk cross his lips.

"Oh I was just wondering if you were actually a werewolf due to the fur that you are currently sporting on your face." Sarcasm dripped from her words, and Lydia was finding it difficult to stifle her laughter.

"No, I am not a werewolf! Nice try Lyds, I know you're just jealous you can't grow a beard this good."

And there it was. The first real sarcastic comment Stiles had made since the day they ran into each other. A smirk was now permanently placed on his lips, and his eyes gleamed with pride.

Lydia felt her heart swell, because for a moment, their stood before her eyes was the boy she knew. The one with a sarcastic tongue and a goofy grin.

"Come on Martin, do you really have no come back?"

Stiles was now beaming, and Lydia was speechless. Her mind was blank, but she didn't care. "You win this one Stilinski."

Now the boy looked as stunned as she felt.

"Did the famous Lydia Martin actually accept defeat? Who are you and what have you done with Lydia?!"

Stiles faked a horrified expression, earning a slight shove on his shoulder from the girl.

"Focus on the road." Lydia tried sounding annoyed, but the smile on her face gave away just how fake it was.

Stiles then let out a laugh that was too rarely heard. It was a laugh that you could hear the happiness radiating through out. This was the laugh that always ended in yet another rare sighting; a toothy grin that Lydia had only seen a handful of times over the years she has known Stiles Stilinski.

Sunshine gleamed behind the now smiling boy, and Lydia swore her heart stopped.

"Stiles, you coming?"

When the Jeep finally pulled into the driveway that belonged to the Stilinski's, Lydia about flew out of the car door. She took in every inch of the sight before her. It felt so familiar to be back in this specific driveway. It was the driveway she would walk upon after late night study sessions, and early afternoon movie marathons. It was the driveway the two friends would sit on during summer nights, talking and looking at the stars. This was home to her. As much as Lydia loved her mom, the woman was gone a lot because of work. So she had found refuge here, and the three mismatched personalities created their own version of a family. This lovely little place had become as much of her home as the original, if not more.

Stiles cautiously exited the car. He felt like a stranger, how odd is that? Feeling as though you don't belong at your own home.

He stayed silent, this hasn't been home for quite some time.

Stiles then turned to retrieve Zeus who was patiently waiting to be released from the back seat. Lydia had already made her way up to the front door, Zeus now trailing close behind. Stiles noticed the girl grinning from ear to ear, while his furry companion wagged his tail in excitement. Both seemed so happy, so calm, but he didn't. It seemed bizarre how nervous he felt. Stiles only came home on occasion, usually meaning holidays. So what about this was making him feel so uneasy? Was it because there no holiday, or did it have something to do with the strawberry blonde who was already knocking on the front door.

Before Lydia could get a second knock in, footsteps echoed within the house, and then grew quiet. The door swung open, and there stood Sheriff Stilinski, uniform and all.

"Lydia Martin. You get more beautiful each time I see you." The sheriff pulled the petite girl in front of him into a hug. "How are you?"

Lydia's smile only grew as she hugged the older gentleman. "I'm doing well, just keeping busy. How are you?"

"Wonderful! How could I be anything less? I'm marrying this wonderful lady tomorrow."

Melissa had made her way to the door as the two were conversing. Lydia flashed her a smile, "Hello Melissa." She also gave the woman a hug.

"Hello Lydia, I'm so happy you could make it this weekend."

"You couldn't keep me away if you tried! I've been rooting for you two since day one."

It was then when Lydia noticed Stiles awkwardly standing behind her. He seemed nervous.

I'm sure he wants a moment with his dad.

"Please excuse me, it's been a long car ride and I need to stretch my legs. I'm sure Zeus does too. Come on Zeus." She motioned the dog to follow her, and he did happily.

Turning around, she started making her way back to the Jeep. As she passed Stiles, Lydia gave him a reassuring smile, one that said "it's going to be okay." He returned her smile with a weak one of his own.

The three stood there for a moment, no one really knowing what to say.

"Hi Stiles, I'm glad you could make it. I'm going to go check on dinner, but we can check up later?" Melissa was the one to speak up, and Stiles nodded at her nervously. She sent him one of her friendly smiles, and made her way back inside.

And then there were two.

Stiles had his eyes on his shoes, not really sure what to say.

"You never mentioned having a dog before." His fathers voice was what finally brought Stiles to take his sight off his beat up Adidas, and meet his father's eyes for the first time in what seemed to feel like forever.

"Never came up I guess. Zeus is good company." Anxiety clung to the boy's chest with each word. He felt pathetic being so nervous around his own dad.

"I see you've acquired other company as well." The elder gentleman nodded towards the girl who was currently playing with Zeus in the front lawn. "Is there anything going on between you two or?"

"N-no dad nothing like that. She just happened to live in the same building as me, we reconnected or whatever. Strictly friendship." Stiles stopped himself from letting his words run in circles which caused the sheriff to laugh.

"All these years later and I'm still rooting for you two." He placed a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Thanks for coming home son." Stiles gave him a small smile, and a wave of guilt crashed over him. After all these years he felt like a shitty son. "I'm happy to be here." Once again Stiles couldn't find his voice, but the reassuring smile on his father's face showed that he had heard him. It still felt strange being back home, but something told him that maybe this time, things would turn around.

 **WOW AM I TRASH OR WHAT? I want to apologize for the hiatus. The end of school was absolutely crazy and then I was out of town and then there was a hint of writers block. I don't want to give up on this story, but forced writing is unpleasant so I am going to apologize now if I can not keep my promise of weekly updates. I don't want to leave this story unfinished and I have come to realize that is more unlikely for me not to finish if I write at my own pace instead of creating deadlines. I hope you all understand.**

 **Anyways, what did you guys think? I'm happy to have the gang back together :) Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions? Let me know! Thank you everyone for reading!**

 **Until the next chapter, lots of love**

 **xxx fictionaddict**


	7. 07 Reunion

Have you ever watched a cheesy movie with the traditional "welcome home" scene? Well Lydia felt as though she was watching one of those scenes unfold in front of her. This scene though, wasn't cheesy. What she was watching was kind of beautiful. The reuniting of a father and son. A pair, that through it all, are thick as thieves. The girl watched humbly as the two embraced one another. It made her heart swell. She really hoped this would be the weekend could be the one that starts bringing Stiles back. Lydia still found it hard to believe that the boy in front of her ever changed.

Lydia found herself thinking back to senior year. The two were knee deep in one of their numerous study sessions. Graduation was right around the corner and Lydia, surprisingly, was the nervous one.

"Stiles what if college is totally lame? What if the pack falls apart?"

Lydia had been pacing around the boy's room for the last half hour. Stiles was sitting on his bed watching the girl as she walked the length of his room.

"Lydia everything is going to be just fine. You've been dreaming about college for years now! You have nothing to worry about."

Mid step she paused to look his way. "I'm going away! Everyone is staying here and I'm moving across California. What if we lose touch? I can't let that happen Stiles."

She had watched his face lose it's playfulness, and watched how it quickly filled with sadness, and now his eyes burned holes in the floor. "Stiles?"

Lydia still got chills down her spine when she thought about how he looked up at her. He looked empty, and Lydia hadn't understood where it came from. In an instant, the boy's mood had taken a turn for the worse. "Stiles, what's wrong?"

It tore at her heart to see him like this; to see him look so broken.

Stiles motioned for her to sit by him.  
"Lyds I've been meaning to talk to you about something."

If nervousness was a person, it would be Stiles from that very moment.

"Stiles?" She remembered holding his hand. It had become a habit of theirs. Neither of them really thought much of it, but despite how often it happened, it never stopped her from feeling a spark when their hands touched.

"I-I decided not to stay here, I'm going to San Francisco. I can't do this any more, I can't be here. I just need some time away ya know? It's not you, or anyone from the pack for that matter, It's just…"

She remembers him shaking, clenching slightly on to her hand.

"It's personal..." Stiles had just barely breathed out the words.

Lydia hadn't known what to say in that moment. She had been confused, it wasn't part of the plan Stiles had talked so proudly about. He never strayed away from the plans, that's how he was.

A moment later Stiles was now the one pacing his room.

"I-I'm sorry. I know this doesn't help you and is probably just adding more stress-"

"Stiles please calm down and just come sit back down." They had both been surprised by how stern her voice was.

Like a lost puppy, Stiles made his way back to where he once sat on the bed.

Lydia had noticed how nervous he was, and wondered why. Sure it meant one more of their friends away, but she was the one that was supposed to be nervous, not him. Stiles was the one who was supposed to be keeping them all together.

"Why did you decide to switch?"

"I'm just tired Lyds. I'm just so tired." Lydia knew Stiles suffered from anxiety, and just like Scott, he took the world on his shoulders. The Stiles she was looking at right now was not the Stiles she knew. This Stiles had bags under his eyes, and sadness across his features.

"Stiles are you okay?" Lydia had her own tears threatening to fall.  
"You're acting like you did after the Nogis-"-

"Don't Lydia." She watched as the boy completely shut down. "Don't."

Since then, Lydia had wondered from time to time what that night was about. She never again saw the broken boy that had sat next to her that evening.

Had it been a one night thing? Or was that just a crack in his exterior?

Had she seen how Stiles really was?

What she feared most was now knowing how long it had been going on for.

They never spoke of that night, and it had ended with them both silently crying into one another, and falling asleep.

When she woke the next morning, Stiles had already made them breakfast, and any trace of the boy who cried last night had vanished. That was the day she realized her best friend had changed.

"Martin!" Lydia was drawn from her thoughts by the gold eyed boy that made her heart flutter.

 _Wait what?_

"Martin were going inside. Dinner is about ready, and everyone is waiting for us."

"Oh sorry. Guess I was too deep in thought to notice."

Stiles rolled her eyes, "Stop day dreaming about me Lyds, it's embarrassing." He said it with a smirk playing on his lips.

"Damn it Stilinski. Not everything is about you."

The two continued to bicker until the sound of another car pulling into the Stilinski driveway. Scott and Kira were now here, and approaching the two. Stiles felt frozen in place, like his whole world stopped. He still didn't know how to act around Scott. Over the years they would go from being fine, to not fine. Stiles hated it. Scott was his brother, and quite literally by tomorrow.

Lydia noticed how Stiles had tensed up. She too, was a little nervous due to the phone call she had with Scott earlier that day. As if out of instinct, Lydia reached for Stiles' hand, and gave it a quick squeeze. After all these years, she still felt that same spark when their hands touched as she did each time before.

It seemed in their best interest for Lydia to say something first, so she quickly made her move to approach the incoming couple.

"Scott! Kira!"

Inky black hair cascaded through the air as Kira quickly ran in for a hug which was followed by something that sounded like a squeal.

"Lydia! I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. It has been crazy busy with the job and moving in. I won't let it happen again!"

Kira's big doe eyes lit up as she smiled widely. "Good!"

Once released, Lydia turned to her alpha friend.

"What? No running hug and squeal of excitement? I'm hurt McCall."

Her pink lips fell comfortably into a smirk. "Kidding."

Scott let out a low chuckle, "Hey Lydia."

The two shared a brief hug, but before separating Lydia whispered the simple phrase,

"Go easy on him." Knowing that his werewolf hearing would pick up her words.

Stiles stood frozen in the driveway. He watched as his friends embraced one another acting as friendly as they did back in high school. The boy couldn't help the feeling out being out of place that was starting to grow in his chest. It took all his strength to start moving one foot in front of the other as they felt as though they were cemented to the ground. He swallowed thickly and the palms of his hands started to sweat, but in an instant, Stiles stood in front of his long time best friend.

Scott moved away from Lydia's embrace to stand in front of Stiles. Stiles had no doubt that his friend could hear how fast his heart was beating. Neither of them spoke. They just stood there in the middle of the damn driveway, neither knowing what to say.

Stiles did his best to break the silence, "Scott I'm-" but the words didn't get out before the alpha brought the boy into a hug.

It took Stiles a moment to process what was going on. He was fully expecting a punch to the face. Slowly, Stiles reciprocated the hug fighting back a few tears that were brought upon by sheer relief.

"I'm so sorry."

Scott broke their hug and gave him his signature goofy grin, "You're my brother. It's going to take a lot more than the silent treatment for me to give up on you."

Stiles smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, man."

Scott nodded and looked over at the girls who seemed to have been holding their breath through out the entire exchange. "Well, shall we?" He moved to throw his arm around Stiles shoulders, and the two started making their way up to driveway to the house as they caught up on each other's lives.

"Well that went much better than I expected." Kira said softly.

Lydia too could barely find her voice, "You know those two, full of surprises." With that the two girls linked arms and followed along to join the others inside.


	8. 08 Hand Holding

Laughter.

It circled the room as though it clung to the air they breathed. Smiles were stretched across each person's face, and for a moment, Stiles felt the world slow down. He couldn't remember the last time everyone gathered around his old wooden kitchen table to enjoy a meal. Currently, stories were being swapped about their adventures in high school. They mainly consisted of Scott and Stiles trying to play detective.

The Sheriff was telling the story of the time when Scott and Stiles tried stealing a couple of the deputy uniforms so they could "blend in" better. That ended promptly when they got caught by one of the female officers and got their asses handed to them.

"I'm pretty sure she asked to be transferred a week later!" Mr. Stilinski had to wipe away a few stray tears that were a side effect to the side aching laughter. "I didn't really like her anyways so I really should be thanking you two boys."

Another round of laughter made its way around the table. Stiles could feel his cheeks hurting from it all. He looked around the room at the familiar faces he called family. Scott and Kira sat across from him, both leaning into each other softly. His father and Melissa had taken the ends of the table, but Stiles didn't miss the glances the two exchanged. It made his heart swell at the fact his father found someone who seemed to make him as happy as his mother once did. Deep down Stiles knew no one could completely fill the void from the lose of his mother, and he believed his father knew that too, but Melissa isn't here to replace his mother. She's the woman who chose to step in a be all she could be to the Stillinskis. To the sheriff, a new partner. To Stiles, well, there was no stopping it. She had already been like a second mother even when his own was still alive, now it is just becoming official.

"Hey," a slight nudge at his side brought him out of his thoughts. "You okay? You've been kind of quiet." Emerald eyes pierced his whiskey ones. Lydia sat comfortable at his side, quite noticeably enjoying her time home.

"I'm fine, just thinking." He paused to reach over and give her hand a squeeze. "I just realized how nice it is to be home." A ghost of a smile past his lips, almost as though he felt that he was not permitted, but couldn't keep it from tugging at the corners of his mouth.

His hand remained on top of hers, warm and comforting. Lydia gave him a small smile of her own, but on the inside she was practically screaming.

 _He's happy to be home._

The words looped in her mind. In reality, it wasn't much, but after the years of him pulling away it meant the world to hear those words.  
For the remainder of their time spent around the dinner table, Stiles kept his hand comfortable placed on top of Lydia's. It was nothing romantic despite the many looks Scott and the others sent their way. No, you see, these two even after all these years are what keep each other a float in the sea of life. Recently though, they both had been drowning. With their reunion Lydia was finally seeing the light and beginning to pull her head above water, but Stiles, well it's sad to say. He saw the light, felt the warmth of the sun on his skin, but it was all from the depths of this deep ocean. Lydia was bringing in that light, but his mind had already tied a weight to his ankle, and it wouldn't take long for him to hit rock bottom.

The night turned out to be nothing less than blissful. They had all taken the time to catch up, and share stories of their high school days. They reminisced only shortly in their adventures with the supernatural, and it had only been then when Stiles became uncomfortable. Of course Lydia saw right through the fake smile, and saw pain in his eyes. She tried asking, but he just lied and said nothing. Once the subject passed he became better, but something continued to ache in his chest from their on out.

It took awhile, but eventually everyone unwillingly agreed that it was time to part due to the fact that the wedding was less than 24 hours away. Although Melissa lived in the Stilinski home with the sheriff, to keep the tradition of the bride and groom not seeing each other it was decided she would go stay the night back in the old McCall home that was now occupied by none other than Scott and Kira.

The three said goodbye with promises of excitement for the big day tomorrow, and then left the father and son, and a certain strawberry blonde in the kitchen.

"Alright kids, as happy as I am to have you both home, it's time for me to get some shut eye. If you haven't heard, I've got a wedding tomorrow." The Sheriff gave them a wink a waved them a goodnight.

"Goodnight!" The two exclaimed, followed by silence falling over the room.

Stiles was leaned up against the counter, his eyes focused on the doorframe his father disappeared through. He was tired; mentally, physically, and emotionally. The pills were wearing off, and he could feel his mind fogging. Sadness is such a difficult thing. It clouds you, suffocates you, and has a habit of taking over you. Stiles felt his body aching, and his mind growing exhausted.

Lydia was seated at the table, and petting Zeus who sat at her feet. She was unsure of what to do. The air around them had grown heavy, and it was so quiet Lydia could hear the seconds ticking away.

"We could go watch a movie? It's been awhile since you've put me through a Star Wars marathon."

For some reason, it felt as though she was grabbing at straws, trying to cling to what seemed like nothing. His response only enhanced the sad feeling that was growing in the pit of her stomach.

Stiles, the boy that ran with wolves, but was still as sweet as can be, simply turned his gaze from the empty door frame and gave her a sad smile.

"Not tonight Lyds." He looked down at his hands and traced the scars that had been collected from the past years. "Just… not tonight."

Lydia once again found herself speechless due to the boy that sat a near five feet away from her. Star Wars to Stiles was like The Notebook to her. Not once did he ever turn down the chance to watch the film, to needless to say all Lydia found herself saying was a quiet, "Okay."

"Come on, we got a big day tomorrow so let's get some rest." Stiles pushed himself off the counter and made his way infront of her, offering her his hand for the final time that evening. Although Lydia was still struggling to fit the pieces of tonight's puzzle together, she took it and let him guide her through the home.

Once the two were upstairs they separated and proceeded to get ready for bed. Stiles spent his time trying to put his mask back on because he knew things were starting to slip, but just behind the other wall Lydia was trying to figure out just how to get that mask off. When the two finally gave up they met back in the hall between the two bed rooms. Lydia was set up in the guest room that was conveniently right across the hall from Stiles' room.

"Shall we try matching tomorrow?" Lydia nudged him jokingly, trying her best to lighten the mood that had fallen around them.

"We can try." Stiles responded with his own try.

"Lyds would you mind if Zeus stayed in your room tonight? I just need some time alone I think." Stiles couldn't bring himself to make eye contact with her as he spoke.

"Oh, yeah sure. Let me know if you need anything…" Lydia felt her throat drying, "Goodnight Stiles."

"Goodnight Lydia."

The two separated into their different rooms, both feeling a slight ache that desperately begged for them to be back together. And as the two laid in bed, neither of them slept right away due to the other being on their mind. Both were left with feelings of concern for the other, and just before they fell into restless sleep, they wondered where this all might lead.

 **Yay yay yay for updates! I'm sorry guys, but I really am trying to get things going. I am doing my best and I can't thank you all enough for all the love and support you have given me. It all truly means the world to me, and if I could personally thank each of you individually I would. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry it is a bit shorter than others, but I told myself I needed to update before work starts so I got cut a bit short. BUT HEY, DOUBLE UPDATE SO THAT'S EXCITING RIGHT? Anyways,thank you so much for reading!**

 **Thoughts? Comments? Ideas? Let me know!**

 **Until the next chapter, lots of love**

 **xxx fictionaddict**


	9. 09 Wedding Day

The house was quiet at 3am that morning. Everyone was tucked away in their beds, all sleeping soundly, except for Stiles. The boy laid there thrashing in his bed, a side effect to his constant nightmares. It was the same one he always had. Stiles was back in the basement of Eichen, chained up like he had been once before. The Nogistune stood before him, pacing back and forth with a devil like grin spread wide across his face.  
 _"Even after all these years Stiles, I still have you trapped."_

Stiles tried to yell, but no sound came out. He tried and tried again until his throat hurt from the strain, all while the devil himself laughed and laughed at the poor boy and his misery.

 _"You're getting weaker Stiles. It won't be long until in you give in, so why don't you just save yourself the trouble and give up now."_

Tears streamed down the boys face as he thrashed and thrashed trying to get away.

The spirit then only let out another laugh,

 _"Very well then, that just means the two of us get to spend yet another night here."_

Stiles tried to scream once more, but there was nothing. And back in his bedroom the boy would toss and turn in his bed, letting out silent screams for no one to hear. In the morning he would awake with tears staining his face, and heavy breathing. He would count his figures as he whispered "wake up" over and over until he was sure that the dream was over. Once it was sure that he was awake, a sigh of relief would escape his lips, and he would get up for the day as though nothing had happened, because that how Stiles believed it had to be. The worst part of it all was no one in the house knew of those nightmares, and sadly they had no reason to think it happened. Because you see, no one heard the screaming or crying. Stiles dreamt silent nightmares, and some believe that is the worst kind there is.

That morning, the Stilinski household was utter chaos. The Sheriff, who was supposed to have nerves of steal, was pacing up the floor of the kitchen trying to get himself in order. He was reciting his vows for what seemed to be the hundredth time, and Stiles couldn't seem to bare it anymore. The boy walked to his father and put his hands on his shoulders,

"Dad. It's Melissa, you've loved her since forever, and have known her twice that long. It's going to be okay I promise."

Stiles felt a bit strange giving his father relationship advice, normally it was the other way around.

"Stiles, are you sure this is okay? I know Melissa has been like a mother to you, but I don't want you to think I'm replacing her. I just…"

"Dad, Melissa had this conversation with me a long time ago, you have nothing to worry about."

Stiles could remember the day perfectly. He had gone to the McCall household to visit Scott, but it seemed as though his friend was running late from his shift at the vet so he sat around their kitchen table drinking coffee and talking to Melissa. It was nothing abnormal for the two to be talking like this, but Stiles knew something was on the woman's mind. He remembers asking her what was on her mind, and she then proceeded to tell him that she was nervous about crossing boundaries.

"Stiles I want you to know that I understand I will never be your mother. She was an amazing woman and I can't even begin to imagine filling her shoes. I don't want to step on toes or cross any lines with you. I've considered you family for what feels like forever, and if what is going on between your dad and I is going to change our relationship… Well I need to know that. Because I know I will never be Claudia, but you've been my son for a long time now, and I never want to let that go."

The words poured out of her as tears began to pool in her eyes. Stiles had felt his own tears as the two hugged one another, silently letting them know that everything was okay.

The three drove silently to the ceremony in the lucky baby blue Jeep. The Sheriff sat in the passenger seat bouncing his knee and he continuously rehearsed his vows like he was a broken record in fear of forgetting the words. Stiles drove, as Lydia sat in back quietly admiring the scenery they passed out the window.

Stiles from time to time would look into his rear view mirror to admire her soft and beautiful features. Her lilac dress complimented her perfectly, and Stiles had to stop himself from smiling to widely. Truth be told, his feelings for Lydia never truly burned out. After all they had been through, he had realized long ago that a part of him would always have a smoldering adoration for the strawberry blonde in his back seat.

At some point she had caught his eyes wandering, and she sent a small smile his way. Stiles felt his heart leap to his throat, as his cheeks burned in embarrassment. He had smiled back as he tried to ignore the rapid beating in his chest. Because you see, even after all these years, Lydia Martin still made him into a nervous wreck.

Soon after the three finally made it to the church where the ceremony was to be held. Everyone was starting to shuffle into their designated positions, for the weddings beginning was only moments away.

"That's my queue." Mr. Stilinski smiled brightly. "Why don't you two go take a seat?"

Stiles and Lydia nodded in agreement, but before turning to leave the boy gave his father one last hug for encouragement.

"I'm happy for you paps. I love you."

"I love you too son." There were tears brimming the elder mans eyes, but he quickly wiped them away as if he was hoping not to get caught from it.

Lydia knew the two men could keep going back and forth for hours, so at this moment she chose to grab the younger Stilinski boy's hand and began to guide him to their seats.

"Alright Stiles, where do we go?" Lydia could feel her excitement rising. She truly did love weddings.

"Well as son of the groom and you as my date we'll be up in front to the-" Lydia's heart fluttered at the word 'date' as the rest of what Stiles was saying became tuned out in her mind.

 _I'm his date._

She was internally screaming as butterflies danced in her stomach. It was almost surprising how much of a reaction she had over one simple word, but this was Stiles, and neither of them had ever really believed that word would be used to describe one another.

"Lyds? Earth to Lyds?" Lydia was quickly snatched out of her thoughts by the whiskey eyed boy.

"What? I'm sorry. Lost in a train of thought. Lets go sit down, shall we?" The words left her mouth rapidly, causing Stiles to send a look of confusion her way. Nonetheless, he decided now was the time to ponder over these sort of things and choose to shrug it off before leading them to their seats.  
Once they were seated, both of them took the opportunity to look around at the small venue. It was a simple church in the heart of Beacon Hills. The wedding had been decided early on that it was not to be anything extravagant, just something homie shared between close friends and family. What intrigued Lydia the most were the white flowers that danced around the entire church. Just like the wedding, they were quite simple, but also quite elegant. They seem to gleam in the light, and Lydia just quite couldn't take her eyes off them.

"This place is perfect for your dad and Melissa. They did a great job decorating, I love these flowers."

Stiles looked over to see Lydia scanning the room over and over, taking in each pedal individually.  
"They're Jasmine Blossoms. They are Melissa's favorite flower. They are definitely a good edition to the wedding. Simple, yet beautiful." Stiles began to smile as he too started to look around the room and the enchanting white flowers.

"You know how ever since Jackson and I broke up I haven't been very much pro myself getting married. But it seems that with each wedding I attend, I find myself more and more wanting to reconsider. This just might be the final straw."

Lydia let out a sigh, "If I find the right person, I really hope this is me someday." Her gaze landed on the large bouquet of flowers that was positions across the alter while Stiles found his gaze of her. His heart leaped for her at those words like no other time before, and in that moment Stiles could only let out a simple whisper,

"Me too."

 **Hello.**

 **Hi.**

 **Yes, I am still alive.**

 **My apologies obviously mean shit because I haven't updated in about a month and a half. Nonetheless I am incredibly sorry for leaving you hanging for so long. I am really trying my best to keep going with this story, but life is busy, and sometimes things get done slower than expected. I really enjoyed writing this chapter though because for me there is a lot of emotion behind it. I really am going to try and updated sooner, but first I think I need to take a moment to collect all my ideas and thoughts on where I want this story to go. Again, I am so sorry for the delay, but I promise I am doing my best. Your love and support is what motivates me to keep going, and if it weren't for you guys I wouldn't still be writing this, so thank you for that. Thoughts? Comments? Ideas? Please please please let me know!**

 **Until the next chapter, lots of love**

 **xxx fictionaddict**

 **P.S THE SEASON SIX TRAILER HAS ME IN TEARS EVERY TIME I WATCH IT. WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS DAY FOR TOO LONG BUT FINALLY STYDIA IS RISING!**

 **P.P.S This is super cheesy but I have fan accounts on both twitter and vine that if anyone would be interested in following that would mean so much to me! They are both xxdylanxoxbrien  
I also just created a finsta (fake Instagram) and although it is not going to be 100% teen wolf/fangirl related, if you ever wanted to get to know me or talk that is one place to start! That one is **

**Alright I'm done now. All the love xxx**


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